Unfriendly Skies
by Mitch
Summary: Jupiter faces her fear of planes to save Amy.


Unfriendly Skies by Mitch wells17@gte.net 

It was a perfect night. The stars were out, the air was cool, and there hadn't been a single monster seen all day. Lita was out walking with Amy. They never had a real moment to know each other better and tonight seemed like as good a time as any. 

"The National Finals?" asked Lita, "Man! I never even tried for that." 

"Why not?" asked Amy, "I've always prided myself on my test grades and studying has always given me something to do." 

"Sounds dull to me. I took Karate class when I was young and I've prided myself on my brownbelt." 

"Sounds like an addition to your aggression," said Amy. 

"Hey! At least I use something other than my brain!" Lita regretted saying that as soon as the words blurted out. 

"Well," said a mad looking Amy, "at least I can handle my anger." 

Amy started walking toward the direction of her apartment building. Lita just stood there, thinking about what she just said. She felt pretty bad, she had never insulted Amy before. It was probably because she felt that Amy had insulted her admiration for martial arts. Lita sighed, so she had contrasting interests than Amy, that was nothing to fight over. Besides, Amy and Serena had some conflict of interest between them and they were admirably close. 

"She's right," Lita whispered to herself, "and I never really get that angry at someone that fast...unless I already was angry." Lita thought about how she sounded like Ann just then, scary. Maybe some of Ann's attitude rubbed off her somehow. That was something Lita had been trying to avoid. She turned around and thought for a second. Then, she went toward the direction of Amy's apartment building. 

Maybe it's not too late, thought Lita, I don't want the evening to end with a Serena/Raye type fight, especially when their not even here! In the dark, she could make out Amy's shape in front of her. "Hey, Amy!" said Lita as she came up to Amy, "I'm sorry. It was an 'Ann Granger' type reflex. I wasn't even using -my- brain..." As Lita got closer, she noticed that Amy was standing suspiciously still and weak. 

"Well," said a voice from nowhere, "my victim has a friend." 

Just then, a monster slower faded into vision. Lita could now see that it was holding Amy and was draining energy from her. Lita also noticed that the monster looked like a female jet plane. 

"Call me Stealth Bomber," the monster said, "I feel rather adventurous right now, so if you want your friend spaired, meet me at the New Tokyo Airport!" 

The monster vanished, taking Amy with her. Lita saw something familar from where Amy stood. It was Amy's transformation pen! 

Oh God, thought Lita, she can't even change to Sailor Mercury now! She got out her communicator to call the other Sailor Scouts. There was too much interference. "Looks like it's up to me!" Lita announced to herself. 

After transforming, Lita, now Sailor Jupiter, ran to the New Tokyo Airport. All the time, she thought about how this wouldn't be happening if she didn't snap at Amy. She'd be okay if I was still with her, Jupiter thought, Amy's not the kind of person you -should- snap at! If Amy would get hurt, Jupiter would never let it down. She made it to the airport...and froze. Beyond the gate were the only things Jupiter feared...PLANES! Jupiter had a fear of planes since she lost her parents in a plane crash. She swolled, reminding herself that she would only be -near- planes, she wouldn't be -on- one. 

Sailor Jupiter jumped over the fence. Stealth Bomber was nowhere in sight. Jupiter quickly thought of how the other Scouts once told her that they had their last battle against their first enemy, Jedite, at this airport. They said that he controlled the planes to chase them. Usually, Jupiter felt a little disapointed that she missed so many adventures due to joning the Scouts so late, but that was one adventure she didn't mind missing. Just then, three planes came at her. 

Jupiter did something that she never thought she would do, she ran. It wasn't because she was afraid of the planes themselves, but because they were pretty close to running over her. She heard that the other Scouts couldn't destroy the planes since they were so expensie, and Jupiter had the same problem. After all, she needed the rent money. She felt like Sailor Moon while she running, but she soon out manuevered the plane that was after her. She figured that Amy was on one of those planes, and there was only one way to learn which one. She had to ride the wings. 

Sailor Jupiter breathed in. She reminded herself that she was doing this for Amy. She jumped on a wing and braced herself against the wind pressure. She looked in the plane's windows. No Amy. She jumped from that wing to one belonging to the jet next to her. She remebered the engines under the wings, like ticking time bombs...she brushed away that thought and looked in. Again, no Amy. Jupiter waited for the third and final plane to roll near her. 

Why -did- this bother her? She had faced monsters, Negaverse Generals, and even -died- once. None of that ever bothered Jupiter before. Of course, everyone was afraid of something. Jupiter was sometimes considered the fearless Scout, but, even though she was proud of that, she knew that it wasn't entirely true. There's nothing wrong with being afraid, she thought, the trick is dealing with it, even if you can't conquer it. What she was -really- afraid of was something happening to Amy. The others would never forgive her and Jupiter would never forgive herself. She really did want her and Amy to be friends and to have it end like that, without even having the chance to apologize to her... 

The plane came and Jupiter jumped on, praying for this nightmare to end soon. She saw Amy tied up and no Stealth Bomber. Of course, based on what Jupiter saw earlier, Bomber may have been invisable. Jupiter didn't want to wreak the window or else risk hurting Amy and losing her rent money. She hugged the side of the plane and stepped slowly toward the door. She always had extreme confidence in her battles before, but she was not sure about this one. Jupiter had faced similar moral delimmas, like when her five minute love interest became Game Machine Man and when a monster attacked her friend Ken and she had to fight it after a blood transfusion. However, she wasn't really scared those times, not for herself that is. She thought of how this may emotionally scar her and weither she would even be any good to the Scouts after this. No, she thought, being a Scout is my life and I've never thought of myself failing before. She was doing this for Amy, that made it worth it. 

She reached the door, which was unlocked. A trap, she thought, oh well. She entered and saw Amy. Just being on a plane, the one thing she feared, made her dizzy. All the childhood trama coming back to her... 

"Sailor Jupiter!" 

"Amy," said a weak sounding Jupiter, if we don't both get out of this one, I'm sorry." 

Stealth Bomber appeared. "Well," she said, you're not who I was expecting. You're one of those Sailor Brats!" 

Jupiter smiled to herself. She loved how such lame disguises seemed to work so well. It was due to magic apparently. 

"She sent me," said Jupiter, referring to herself as Lita, "And we're not brats! We're smart, we're capable, and we're strong...and that goes for all of us We...also have flaws, but we're also forgiving." 

"Well, you must be easier to handle than this girl. I've been trying to drain her energy for almost an hour, but she keeps resisting!" 

"Sounds like she's strong," said Jupiter with truth in her voice. 

"Well, prepare to die!" 

"Alright," said Jupiter as she rolled Amy's pen to her, "but I request for that girl to write my will afterwards." 

"Why?" 

"She's my friend and I'm proud of her to be my friend." 

"Well," said Bomber, "too bad -neither- of you will be around in a few minutes!" 

She pulled out a lit bomb. Lita then realized where this monster got her name. 

"MERCURY POWER!" 

Stealth Bomber turned and saw Sailor Mercury. Jupiter smiled, proud of her own bluff that saved her. 

"MERCURY BUBBLES BLAST!" 

The foam bubbles not only blinded Stealth bomber, but put out the fuse of her bomb. Jupiter saw her chance, 

"JUPITER THUNDER CRASH!" 

The concentrated lightning hit Stealth Bomber and changed her into a tarot card. The picture of her burned out. 

Jupiter started to black out. She wasn't tired but her precence on the plane was getting to her. The plane monster, the planes after her, being -on- a plane...at least Amy was safe... 

The next thing the unconcous Jupiter felt were a pair of gloved hands picking her up. She felt herslf being placed on something rubbery. 

"Jupiter, wake up." 

She slowly opened her eyes and saw Sailor Mercury behind her. 

"I think you shoud be awake before we hit the bottom," Mercury explained. 

Mercury let go and Jupiter slid down the emergency exit with her friend behind her. They landed and giggled. 

"Mercury, look, I shouldn't have snapped at you. You're right, I -am- too angry. In fact, I've always admired your cool head." 

"No," said Mercury, "-I- should apologize. I shouldn't have marched off like that. I pretty sensitive myself occasionally, but... you..you faced your fear of planes to help me!" "I had to," said Jupiter, "I'm more afraid of something bad happening to such a good person than I am of planes. You held out for a near -hour-? You're strong, Mercury, stronger than you're given credit for." 

"I admired your plan to give me my pen," said Mercury, "that was pretty smart of you." 

They sat for a moment and hugged. They transformed back to Lita and Amy and begain to walk to their respective homes. 

"Do you think you can teach me some Karate moves?" asked Amy. "I mean, I might need them someday. 

"Sure," said Lita, "if you help me study for my next exam." 

End 


End file.
